Dermot McAleese of Antrim pictured with the Tailteann Cup at the launch of the Tailteann Cup at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.
By Paul Keane
For a truly intoxicating period in the second quarter of their Ulster SFC encounter with Armagh, Dermot McAleese and Antrim were living the dream.
They were at home at Corrigan Park that day, among their own and thriving, outscoring the All-Ireland SFC holders by 0-9 to 0-2 between the 26th and 35th minutes.
For context, Armagh had just reeled off seven points in a row themselves to move into pole position with a double scores 0-10 to 0-5 lead, strengthening their grip on a game they were expected to win comfortably.
So it was an unlikely spell of dominance, and sheer ferocity, that Antrim summoned, rocking Armagh back and giving them so much to think about.
Goalkeeper Mick Byrne knocked over a 45 for Antrim, Dominic McEnhill converted a two-point free, Marc Jordan and Ryan McQuillan grabbed a couple of single points each and Paddy McBride then weighed in with back to back two pointers.
Antrim turned at half-time with a one-point lead. The compact Belfast venue was rocking.
"Our target was to be brave against them and I think we did that," said Antrim defender and captain Dermot McAleese.
Antrim were still on level terms with the eventual Ulster finalists at the 41-minute mark before eventually fading. Armagh won by 11 points but it was a mighty effort from Antrim, reflecting what they're capable of when they click, and they will be desperate to play with similar gusto throughout the upcoming Tailteann Cup campaign.
"I think Armagh's strength in depth probably told and we aren't playing at that level every week," said McAleese. "So they sort of pushed on in the second-half but we can take a lot out of that game, a lot of confidence from it and it's really something for us to build on in the Tailteann Cup."
Dermot McAleese of Antrim after his side's defeat in the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between Antrim and Armagh at Corrigan Park in Belfast. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.
Could a first Tailteann Cup title success even be a possibility for an Antrim side with experience of going deep into the competition, contesting semi-finals in 2023 and 2024?
"We can't really look that far ahead," cautioned McAleese. "We are third seeds after all and we have been given a tough enough draw; Westmeath, London and Limerick. We have always had tight games against those sides so we cannot take anything for granted, even though we've got to those semi-finals the last couple of years. We can draw a lot of experience and confidence from that, yeah, but the thing is that this weekend everyone starts from zero again."
Antrim's campaign will begin on Sunday in Mullingar's TEG Cusack Park where hosts Westmeath, the 2022 competition winners, will hope to finally get up and running with a first win of the year. They failed to win a game in Division 2 of the Allianz League and were beaten by Kildare at the provincial quarter-final stage.
"I think they've been very unlucky this year," said McAleese, noting Westmeath's narrow loss to Kildare which followed the pattern of near misses throughout spring. "They could have easily been in the top half of Division 2 and it ended up that they got relegated. Probably very unlucky is what we would say they are.
"We played them last year and it was a very close game, they just came out the right side of it. And we played them a few years back and we got a real trimming, so we know all the dangers that they have. They could be preparing for a Leinster final themselves this weekend, they were very unlucky to lose to Kildare, so we are well aware of the challenge that is ahead of us."
McAleese's vast experience will be vital. He has been around for, as he puts it, 'the guts of 12 years' with the Saffrons and counts himself of the same vintage as Jordan and McBride. Other than that, it's a relatively young group which manager Andy McEntee has carefully assembled.
"We only have three, maybe four guys who are 30-plus," he said. "We have a young panel there and we have been fit to keep it together in the last few years, there hasn't been a whole lot of chopping and hanging, or lads leaving the panel. It's about nurturing that, keeping the group together and hopefully getting back into Division 3 as soon as possible."
